However, sources around town tell me Grebner doesn´t
believe Lindemann is operating the Drain Commissioner´s Office as
frugally as he could. I couldn´t get anyone to elaborate on what that
means. It´s probably because few people on earth understand the hidden
corners of the Ingham County´s budget like Grebner.

Handing reams of data to someone as statistically
brilliant as Grebner is like throwing Miguel Cabrera a meatball down
the middle of the plate. With time, Grebner is bound to blast one out
of the park.

Or maybe Grebner, who said he´s not running for another
term in 2012 because of the recent commissioner pay cut, is trying to
stir something up.

For his part, Lindemann said he feels like he´s being a
good steward of the county´s money. He doesn´t apologize for putting
money into keeping up the county´s 1,057 drains — those works of
natural and man-made engineering that keep the county from turning back
into a pre-development swamp.

Spending a little money on fixing a drain today saves
everybody a lot of money tomorrow, he said. The projects his office
does take on — like the 12-mile drain in White Oak Township — was
completed under budget and ahead of schedule, Lindemann proudly relayed
to me.

As far as his office´s operations, the job entails the
contracting of lawyers and engineers, he said. That does cost money.
Lindemann said he has 40 petitions on his desk for projects. Keeping
the clean water away from the foundations of buildings while protecting
the county´s natural resources is a tricky balancing act.

Lindemann said he´s heard the rumblings about Grebner’s exploring a drain commissioner run. His response: "Let him try it."

"People have thought I´ve been
vulnerable in the past, but I´m not," he said. "I don´t try to second
guess the public and if they like what I´ve done they´ll continue to
support me. And so far, the support I´ve received from the neighborhood
groups and the people I´ve talked to, is overwhelming."

Lindemann said he takes any campaign seriously, whether
the competition appears weak or not. How he approaches his re-election
won´t change whether Grebner, a 30-year veteran of the Ingham County
Commission, takes the plunge.

"If he´s serious, that´s OK. If not, that´s OK, too," Lindemann said.

Lindemann has the experience to back up his confidence.
Remember in 2008, Lindemann dispatched wetlands consultant Gary Marx 66
percent to 33 percent in the Democratic primary, despite Marx’s being
backrolled by some deep-pocketed developers who threw everything but
the kitchen sink against the professed liberal.

If Grebner goes after Lindemann, though, it will be at
least the second high-profile countywide primary in Ingham County.
State Rep. Barb Byrum has made no secret about her interest in
succeeding Ingham County Clerk Mike Bryanton, who has sent signals that
he may be retiring.

If he does, Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope would be Bryanton´s preferred heir.

Whitmer Named Democrat of the Year

Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer
of East Lansing was recognized last week as the "Democratic Legislator
of the Year" by the MIRS political newsletter. The inaugural award was
given to the Democrat in the state legislature who has been the most
effective and impactful while maintaining a certain level of activity.

Whitmer was recognized for her ability to yield national
attention to the anti-bullying legislation that the Republican-led
legislature passed and Gov. Rick Snyder signed mandating that local
school districts develop policies to protect kids from being cruelly
picked on.

As one of the voting members of the award, I agreed with
my colleagues when I said that Whitmer has done more with her position
as Senate minority leader than any of her predecessors despite having
fewer caucus members than any prior leader in recent history.

Our full comments are on the weekly MIRS podcast, www.mirsnews.podbean.com.